 | |
| |
|---|---|
| City | Davenport, Iowa |
| Channels | |
| Branding | KWQC-TV 6 |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | October 31, 1949 (76 years ago) (1949-10-31) |
Former call signs | WOC-TV (1949–1986) |
Former channel numbers |
|
Call sign meaning | Welcome to the Quad Cities (call letters modified to resemble former WOC-TV call letters and tie-in to regional nickname) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 6885 |
| ERP | 1,000 kW |
| HAAT | 375.1 m (1,231 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 41°32′48.8″N90°28′37.8″W / 41.546889°N 90.477167°W /41.546889; -90.477167 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
KWQC-TV (channel 6) is atelevision station licensed toDavenport, Iowa, United States, serving theQuad Cities area as an affiliate ofNBC. Owned byGray Media, the station maintains studios on Brady Street in downtown Davenport, and its transmitter is located inBettendorf, Iowa.[2]
KWQC first signed on the air on October 31, 1949, as WOC-TV. The station was founded byB. J. Palmer, founder of thePalmer College of Chiropractic (located directly across the street from the station's studios) along with WOC radio (1420 AM and 103.7 FM, nowWLLR-FM). The WOC stations were alsosister stations toWHO-AM/FM/TV inDes Moines. According to local legend, the WOC calls stood for "Wonders of Chiropractic", though the Palmer family never acknowledged the phrase in print or otherwise. WOC-TV has the distinction of being considered both Iowa's and the Quad Cities' first television station, carrying programming from all four networks at the time: (NBC,CBS,ABC andDuMont). However, it has always been a primary NBC affiliate owing to WOC radio's long-standing affiliation with theNBC Radio Network. Originally on channel 5, WOC-TV moved to channel 6 in 1952 because of interference with bothIowa State University'sWOI-TV inAmes, and WNBQ-TV (nowWMAQ-TV) inChicago. During its early years, original programming on WOC-TV included the dailyShow Boat children's show hosted byCap'n Ernie from 1964 to 1974.[3][4]
WOC-TV lost CBS whenRock Island–basedWHBF-TV (channel 4) was launched in 1950. The two stations shared ABC untilWQAD-TV (channel 8) signed on fromMoline in 1963, and has since served as an exclusive NBC station. The station was also affiliated with the short-livedParamount Television Network; in fact, it was one of that network's strongest affiliates, carrying programs such asDixie Showboat,[5]Hollywood Reel,[6] andHollywood Wrestling.[7]
Channel 6 remained with the Palmer family's broadcasting division after Dr. Palmer's death in 1961. In 1986,Palmer Communications sold its Quad Cities radio properties to Vickie Anne Palmer and her then-husband J. Douglas Miller. AsFederal Communications Commission (FCC) rules at the time did not allow separately-owned stations to share the same base call sign, channel 6 changed its calls to the current KWQC-TV on December 8. KWQC was sold to Broad Street Television in 1989 and toYoung Broadcasting in 1995.
On June 6, 2013,Media General announced they would acquire Young Broadcasting in an all-stock deal.[8] The merger was completed on November 12.[9] The addition of KWQC to Media General's portfolio marked a return to Iowa for Media General, who had ownedKIMT inMason City from 2000 to 2006, though they would regain ownership of that station upon acquiringLIN Media in 2014. In September 2015, Media General announced the acquisition ofMeredith Corporation in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.4 billion.[10] If the deal was completed, KWQC and KIMT would have become Meredith's first television stations in its home state of Iowa.
Media General announced on January 27, 2016, that it was terminating the Meredith deal, and also announced that it was being acquired byNexstar Broadcasting Group with the new company named Nexstar Media Group. As Nexstar already owns WHBF-TV, and since both WHBF and KWQC rank among the top four stations by daily ratings in the market, in order to comply with FCC ownership rules as well as planned changes to rules regarding same-market television stations which would prohibit futurejoint sales agreements, the company was required to sell either KWQC or WHBF to another company. WHBF's sister stationKGCW was not affected, and could have either remained in itsduopoly with WHBF or created a new duopoly with KWQC, as its ratings are below the top-four threshold.[11][12] On June 3, 2016, it was announced that Nexstar would keep its existing assets and sell KWQC toGray Television for $270 million. It represents a reunion of sorts as Gray previously managed the station when Young was encountering financial difficulties, but this time Gray acquired the station outright. That makes KWQC a sister station toKCRG-TV inCedar Rapids,WIFR inRockford and fellow NBC affiliateWMTV inMadison.[13][14][15] The sale was completed on January 17, 2017.[16]
On February 1, 2021, Gray Television announced its intent to purchaseQuincy, Illinois–basedQuincy Media for $925 million. The deal was completed on August 2, 2021,[17] placing KWQC under common ownership with fellow NBC affiliates in several Illinois and Iowa markets, includingWEEK-TV inPeoria,KTIV inSioux City,KTTC inRochester, Minnesota–Mason City, andWGEM-TV in Quincy (the long-time flagship television station of Quincy Media). OnlyKWWL inWaterloo–Cedar Rapids needed to be divested to a third party, as Gray Television already owns that market's ABC affiliate KCRG-TV, and had elected to keep KCRG-TV and sell KWWL due to the ownership conflict in that market.[18] On April 29, Gray announced that it would divest KWWL, along with fellow NBC affiliate and Quincy Media sister stationWREX in Rockford, to Allen Media Broadcasting, a subsidiary ofLos Angeles basedEntertainment Studios, for $380 million.[19] WREX's divestiture was optional as FCC regulations would permit common ownership of WREX and WIFR-LD as WIFR-LD is a low-power station but the sale of KWWL was required as KWWL and KCRG-TV are both full-power stations.
KWQC-DT2 is theIon Television–affiliated second digital subchannel of KWQC-TV, broadcasting instandard definition on channel 6.2.
On August 13, 2007, KWQC launched a local digital weather service called the "KWQC 24/7 Weather Channel" on over-the-air digital subchannel 6.2 and on Mediacom digital channel 247 in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas. The subchannel's display was similar in format to Young Broadcasting's other digital weather subchannel offerings on sister stationsWBAY-TV andWTEN: Radar feeds from the station's computer system, local weather conditions (also from the computers) on the right side of the screen, a seven-day forecast below the radio/video window, and anews ticker at the bottom of the screen. Forecasts and weather maps were played on a 10-minute loop, with public service announcements and some local advertising a part of the subchannel. Per FCC guidelines requiring three hours ofE/I programming per week on digital subchannels, KWQC-DT2 ran children's oriented programming Mondays thru Saturdays at 5 p.m. The subchannel also featured same-day rebroadcasts ofPaula Sands Live at 7 p.m. Subchannel 6.2 initially broadcast programming in a4:3 aspect ratio before converting to a16:9widescreen format (to match that of modern widescreen television receivers) in Fall 2011.
On November 1, 2015, the KWQC 24/7 Weather Channel was discontinued and replaced with entertainment programming from Ion Television.[20] The switch made KWQC the earliest of several Media General-owned stations toaffiliate a subchannel with Ion in markets where Ion does not have anowned-and-operated station. KWQC also moved subchannel 6.2 back to its original 4:3 aspect ratio. Ion Television programming and network promos are seen in a 16:9letterbox whilecommercials andinfomercials are center-cut to match the 4:3 aspect ratio of the subchannel.
In 2025, KWQC's digital weather service returned, now offered exclusively through streaming, being carried on the station's website, apps, and Zeam, Gray Media's local streaming service.
KWQC-DT3 is theCozi TV–affiliated third digital subchannel of KWQC-TV, broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen standard definition on UHF channel 6.3.
In June 2013, KWQC began testing a third digital subchannel (6.3) with an ID still. The still was replaced on Labor Day of that year with programming fromNBCUniversal-owned classic television network Cozi TV. The channel is also available on Mediacom cable channel 106.[21]
On February 1, 2019, the station addedWeigel Broadcasting'sHeroes & Icons andStart TV to their subchannel lineup on channels 6.4 and 6.5, respectively.
In January 2008, KWQC began broadcastingsyndicated programs, and NBC network programs in high definition. The first two programs aired in the format,Jeopardy! andWheel of Fortune, are recorded and broadcast in high definition every weekday. The Saturday evening reruns ofWheel of Fortune are also broadcast in high definition. KWQC's local programs soon followed, converting their broadcasts to HD on October 27, 2010.
The station also produces an hour-long daytime talk/discussion program calledQuad Cities Live at 3 p.m. weekdays. The program focuses on current events in the Quad Cities area, along with a variety of other segments. Initially, it replaced Paula Sands Live only on Friday's, but following Sand's retirement, the program took over the PSL slot full time.
On December 2, 2020, KWQC chose not to air a rare Wednesday late afternoonBaltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game, which had been originally been aThanksgiving night matchup forNBC Sunday Night Football that was postponed three times in one week due toCOVID-19 issues. Instead, Sands' daytime show and local newscasts aired as usual, with the station justifying the decision to provide local news and a platform for local businesses during the pandemic that would have been delayed due to a game without any overall regional interest.[22]
KWQC is known by Quad Cities residents for theHighlight Zone, anEmmy award-winning Friday night sports segment (which airs during the station's 10 p.m. newscast from roughly late August through early March, with a break in December), showcasing highlights from area high school football and basketball games. The segment debuted in 1989, and its format has since been copied by many stations around the United States. Each member of the news anchor staff, along with the meteorologist who does weather forecasts on that particular evening, take turns recapping a featured game. The camera crews invite fans from each of the games they cover to participate in a skit related to the night's theme. The theme usually centers on a holiday (e.g.,Valentine's Day) or local promotion (e.g., The Student Food Drive, an initiative by area high schools to collect food for the needy).
On July 31, 2007, KWQC debuted drastic changes to its graphics and newscast music, dumpingFrank Gari's "Hello News" package that had been in use since 1990. KWQC added a "cube" ID graphic (similar to the on-screen logo bug used byFox News Channel), which stirred up some controversy among viewers. Eventually, KWQC slowed the cube down as a result of a vote by nearly 2,000 people on its website. KWQC began using "U-Phonix", a syndicated music package composed byStephen Arnold Music. Just eight weeks later on September 24, KWQC switched back to the "Hello News" package, making KWQC the first station to use a syndicated music package for the least amount of time. KWQC was the only station that continued to use the original "Hello News" package, but on January 16, 2012, it was dropped once again and was replaced by "Breakthrough" by 360 Music as the music package for its newscasts. On October 31, 2023, ahead of the station's 75th anniversary, the "Hello News" package and the classic "Hello Quad Cities" advertising campaign were reinstated.[23][24]
On September 25, 2008, KWQC introduced a new graphics package during its 5 p.m. broadcast, which also brought significant changes to its weather forecast presentation. The station introduced a new graphics system that allows the First Alert Weather team to provide more interactive weather forecasts and severe weather coverage, through animation,touch-movement and wireless transition of graphics. KWQC also introduced a revised station logo, the first change to its on-air logo since 1990. While it was similar to the one previously used, the "-TV" suffix was replaced with a "-DT" suffix (for digital television), though KWQC-TV remained as the station's official call sign.
On October 27, 2010, beginning with the 5 p.m. newscast, KWQC became the first television station in the Quad Cities market and the first station owned by Young Broadcasting to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition. A high definition-ready news set was constructed for the newscasts (a "compact" news desk was temporarily placed in the newsroom during the construction phase so that only three on-air staffers could be seen at a given time). Logos, call signs and on-air graphics were changed as well to refer to its newscasts asKWQC-HD News. The station returned to their originalKWQC-TV 6 News branding in 2012 after all the market's stations converted to high definition news operations.
On November 4, 2013, KWQC introduced brand new weather graphics. The whole Young Broadcasting Association had been working on the new graphics for over six months. The change brought a new banner to the top of the screen, entitled "KWQC Weather", not "First Alert", though "First Alert" is still the official name of the weather on KWQC. The radar, 7 Day Forecast, Current Temperatures, and Watches/Warnings were all given a new look. Some new features include being able to put pictures fromFacebook right on the screen and being able to put LIVE video of the meteorologists right over the radar or other image. On December 12, 2013, KWQC took away the KWQC Weather logo and replaced it again with the First Alert logo.
Starting on September 6, 2014, KWQC introducedQuad Cities Today: Weekend Edition. It runs before NBC'sToday Show at 6 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. A half-hour newscast follows at 8:30 a.m. Saturdays, and two 60-minute newscasts that airs at 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays.Meet the Press has been moved to 9 a.m. Sundays; andThis Week in Agribusiness andU.S. Farm Report airs at 5 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.[25] KWQC had canceled its Saturday morning newscasts in 2008 due to financial struggles.[26]
In July 2017, KWQC reinstated the longtime slogan "The Station That Cares for You" for KWQC's special coverage of the Quad Cities Times Bix 7 Road Race. The slogan was used from the early 1990s until being phased out during the station's HD switch in 2010. The slogan was featured on news team T-shirts and was introduced in different promos and station commercials. The slogan came back permanently on January 18, 2024, when KWQC launched their new news package under "GrayONE".
KWQC has news and weather updates broadcast for iHeartMedia's Quad Cities stations, among themKMXG, WLLR-FM, and its former sister station WOC (AM). The news updates are mostly heard in the morning, fromQuad Cities Today anchors Dustin Nolan and Jenna Jackson. KMXG morning personalities McFadden & Evans also present the entertainment-themed "Showbiz Buzz" segment daily duringKWQC-TV 6 News at 4.
The audio of the Monday through Friday 5 p.m. newscast is rebroadcast on WOC 1420 at 5:30 p.m.
On September 29, 2012, KWQC announced they would be partnering with Fox affiliate KLJB to produce a 9 p.m. newscast starting New Year's Eve and planned to expand the news staff to accommodate the move.[27] The fate of this partnership was unknown with the June 2014 announcement that KLJB would be purchased byMarshall Broadcasting Group; competitor station WHBF fromCitadel Communications was acquired by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, which universally operates Marshall Broadcasting Group stations through LMA and JSA agreements. On December 30, 2015, KWQC announced that its contract to produce KLJB's newscast had expired and that KLJB chose not to renew it.[28] On December 31, 2015, WHBF took over production of KLJB'sFox 18 News at Nine and expanded the newscast to a full hour.[29] Nearly 13 months earlier, the sale of KLJB to Marshall Broadcasting Group was completed,[30] and Nexstar (which already owned WHBF and KGCW at the time) entered into its existing SSA with KLJB.
Channel 6 has been the ratings leader in the Quad Cities for most of its history. The station's various owners have always poured significant resources into its news operation, resulting in a higher-quality product than would normally be the case for what has always been a small-to-medium market.
It briefly lost the lead to WHBF in the mid-1970s but regained it in 1980, and its newscasts have been the highest-rated in the market ever since. It was especially dominant when it was still co-owned with WOC radio; the two stations combined to cover the Quad Cities like no one else could.
According to theDes Moines Register in the November 2007 books, KWQC had the third highest-rated newscast among all stations in the top 100media markets. In 2015, KWQC's newscasts remained number one in total viewers in every time slot. As of 2013–2014, Nielsen's DMA rank for the Quad Cities was 100.
The station's signal ismultiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | KWQC-TV | NBC |
| 6.2 | 480i | ION | Ion Television | |
| 6.3 | COZI TV | Cozi TV | ||
| 6.4 | H&I | Heroes & Icons | ||
| 6.5 | StartTV | Start TV | ||
| 6.6 | Outlaw | Outlaw | ||
| 6.7 | ION+ | Ion Plus |
KWQC-TV ended regular programming on its analog signal, overVHF channel 6, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transitionUHF channel 56—which was among the high band UHF channels (52–69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition—to UHF channel 36, usingvirtual channel 6.[32]
As part of theSAFER Act, KWQC-TV kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop ofpublic service announcements from theNational Association of Broadcasters.[33]
The KWQC-TV Tower is a 1,381-foot (421 m) highguy-wired aerialmast for the transmission of FM radio and television programs inBettendorf, west of theScott Community College campus. (Geographical coordinates:41°32′49″N90°28′35″W / 41.54694°N 90.47639°W /41.54694; -90.47639). It was built in 1982. In addition to KWQC-TV, WHBF-TV and radio stations WOC (AM) and WLLR-FM, both former sisters of KWQC-TV (as WOC-TV), as well as religiousWDLM-FM, andNPR member stationWVIK, transmit their signals from this site.
KWQC and WHBF are the only Quad Cities television stations to transmit from Bettendorf, while the market's other stations are transmitting from Orion,[34] with the exception of KGCW. This means many viewers in and around the Quad Cities market need either a rotor or two separate antennas to receive all their local TV stations.
On July 14, 2015, KWQC-TV and itsdigital subchannels were pulled from Mediacom cable systems in the Quad Cities region because of acarriage dispute overretransmission consent fees between Mediacom and KWQC's owner at the time, Media General.[35] This carriage dispute was part of an ongoing disagreement nationwide between Mediacom and Media General, which saw Media General stations in 14 television markets in the United States pulled from Mediacom cable systems. ThreeFox affiliates owned by Media General were lost to Mediacom subscribers inHampton Roads, Virginia,Terre Haute, Indiana, andTopeka, Kansas, just before the start of the2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[36] On July 30, 2015, Mediacom and Media General reached a new agreement, thereby restoring KWQC and its digital subchannels to Quad City area Mediacom subscribers.[37]
{{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state ofIowa | ||
|---|---|---|
Includes stations in out-of-state TV markets, but reaching a portion of Iowa | ||
| ABC | ||
| CBS | ||
| Fox | ||
| NBC | ||
| The CW | ||
| Ion Television | ||
| Independent | ||
| PBS |
| |
| Religious | ||
| Other | ||
| ATSC 3.0 | ||
| ||
Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state ofIllinois | ||
|---|---|---|
Includes stations in out-of-state TV markets, but reaching a portion of Illinois | ||
| ABC | ||
| CBS | ||
| Fox | ||
| NBC | ||
| The CW | ||
| Ion Television | ||
| Independent | ||
| PBS | ||
| Religious | ||
| Spanish | ||
| Other | ||
| ATSC 3.0 | ||
| ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
